Jalex: Always Be My Baby
This is the sequel to Realizations, the Jalex wedding! Hope you like it!
Basically, its two years after the end of Realizations, and two weeks until Jay and Alex are due to get married. Characters in this story are: Jay, Alex, Kendra, Manny, Emma, Toby, Towerz, Sean, Amy, Paige, Ellie and a few original characters that I've made up. There may well be some more familiar pop up at some point too, I just haven't decided yet.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing!
I looked at my hopeless reflection in the mirror as the tailor took in another inch on the corset of my 'stunning' wedding dress.
"Hows that, Ms Nuñez?" She asked me with a skeptical look on her face.
We'd been stood in front of this mirror taking inches upon inches off this dress for what seemed like years. This so called perfect dress had been on reserve for me in this store since May while I'd been mustering up enough shifts at work to pay for it. Back then, I'd reserved a size seven dress. But in those six months, I'd lost enough weight with pre-wedding stress and nerves to fill a whole second dress. I walked into the dress shop this morning and was presented with the gown, and knew from looking at it that it just wouldn't fit me. Reluctantly, I stepped into it anyway and emerged from the fitting room holding it up around the gaping bust. Jeanine, my tailor, had told me it wouldn't be a problem, but after multiple attempts to resize it, I was pinned into this thing, and I was beginning to feel out of my depth.
"Will it go in any further?" I asked miserably as I saw at least another inch and a half of possible fabric that could be pinned.
She looked reluctant, and continued fiddling with the fabric. "You know, Ms. Nuñez, for the amount of fabric you've taken in, you might be better off finding another dress."
My heart sank. I knew that's what she'd end up suggesting. I'd had my heart set on this dress for so long that I couldn't imagine having to choose something else. And I was hardly in the money enough to choose another dress, I just couldn't afford anything else.
"How much will it cost for all these alterations?" I asked.
"80 dollars, with the 15 discount on the price of the dress."
"And how much would it be for a new dress?"
"Any dress you find, you can have with a 25 discount."
I considered this for a few minutes, before deciding I didn't want to go for it. "No, I want the alterations for this one."
Janine looked like it pained her to do so, but she agreed. "OK, this is as far as I can go. It'll be ready for pick up in three days."
This isn't what I wanted to hear but I accepted it anyway. I was too fucking tired and sick of wedding planning to argue with her further.
I retired back to the fitting room and stepped out of the baggy dress and back into my jeans and Jay's t-shirt. I threw my jacket on over the top and emerged a few minutes later probably looking ready to kill someone.
I gritted my teeth and endured a few more minutes of 'dress talk' before I made my apologies and left that place.
Crossing the parking lot, I was distracted by a familiar voice calling my name. I turned in the direction of the voice, and saw that it belonged to none other than blast from the past... Paige Michalchuk. She was bounding across the parking lot at a phenomenal speed. At this point, I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Could this day get any worse?
"Alex Nuñez!" She shouted my name across the parking lot. I cringed at the reminder of the sound of her voice but smiled nervously and edged my way over to her reluctantly.
"Hey, Paige." I said stiffly.
"Or should I say Alex Hogart! When is this happening, sweetie?!" Her voice was so fake and grating, like fingernails down a chalk board.
"Two weeks tomorrow." I replied, not wanting to divulge too much information to my nemesis.
"I'm happy for you sweetie, no I really am!" I watched her as she said it, and was almost bowled right over. She spoke like she thought I was taking a step back by marrying Jay. Like our time together was more special to me than my life with Jay. More like my lifetime with Jay. I'd been with him since leaving high school. My time that I was with Paige was... nice, at the time. But it had seriously been almost ten years.
"Thanks." I said bitterly. "Well you caught me just as I was heading home. My daugh-"
"No! Sweetie, you can't leave yet! We're just getting reacquainted! Stay for a drink at least! Or a bite to eat, you look like you could use it!" I stepped back in anger as she poked my ribs, but I kept my expression calm, something I'd perfected through years of Jay's drunken "flirting" and my mom's constant wanting to help look after my babies.
Opposite the wedding dress store was a small time diner with lace curtains and shutters on the windows and everything, the whole nine yards. I would have passed it right by if it wasn't for my present company. This whole meeting was too cliché for words, too awkward to elaborate on. Before I could convince myself to just leave, I was stood at the door being greeted by the owner.
"Welcome to Mama's, sweetness, table for two?" She addressed Paige. She had dark skin, curly hair and was dressed in pale pink, different to all the other waitresses flitting about. Paige lead the way to the table behind the lady, and I followed begrudgingly. We were sat down in a booth in the window right in the corner away from the hustle and bustle. Mama took our drinks order then left us with two menus. I snatched one up hastily and held it in front of my face to hide the pissed off scowl I had fixed on my face.
I hadn't come into contact with Paige since Spinner...passed away, and I wasn't ready for her to come parading back into my life in her fancy Christian Louboutin shoes just yet. I was just fifteen days away from marrying Jay, I didn't need distractions of the former lesbian life partner kind. I had enough doubts and worries in my head without adding all... that into the equation.
After studying the crap put of the menu, I placed it down and stared out the window to the cars and people coming and going outside. I could feel Paige's eyes burning into me. She looked at me with a look that I couldn't quite place. I think it was a cross between 'I regret ever leaving you' and 'Since I last saw you, you've really gone to pieces'. Either way, I wasn't too pleased with the look. She obviously noticed the collection of tattoos that Jay and I had accumulated over the years. She looked disgusted. I felt a similar way when I looked at her face. OK, so thats not strictly true. But I can lie to myself, right? There's no one around in my head to correct me if I don't want there to be. I was rambling to myself now and my self inflicted insanity was beginning to get worrying. Paige seemed engrossed in the menu all of a sudden, like it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen. I considered taking another look, but left it on the table, knowing I couldn't stomach food.
"So you're actually going through with it?" Her voice was slippy, evil and dangerous.
I arched my eyebrows with a hint of anger. I couldn't stay calm. "If by 'it' you mean marrying my high school sweetheart and the father of my two kids, then yeah. I am really doing it." I spat. I wasn't gonna stand for her shit anymore. She'd missed that boat by nearly ten years. Even after everything that had happened, Paige was still the same self centered head cheerleader type she'd been in high school. I stood up from my seat in a shot and headed toward the door with fire in my eyes. Mama was headed over to our table with our coffee's. I'd leave the bill for Paige.
"Paige Michalchuk?!" Ellie exclaimed in disgust as I recalled the days events to her. "I haven't heard that name in years." Ellie had been absent from my life since high school ended, but upon her return to Toronto a year and a half ago, our friendship had redeemed itself and now I couldn't imagine life without my best friend. Us two, plus my other best friend Cassidy were going to rock the church in two weeks time. Ellie was my maid of honor and Cassidy was my own bridesmaid, and for some stupid reason, I agreed a few months back I agreed that Jay's good friend Kendra – Spin's sister – could be his choice for bridesmaid. If I thought far enough back, I remember before Kendra transferred out of Degrassi to go to a different school – I have no idea which one – me and Jay used to see her sat on the benches with that girl in the wheelchair playing chess and discussing homework and other such school related behavior. Never in a million years did I think that in a decade from then, Jay would be best friends with her. K it helps him feel closer to Spinner. Or Spinner's memory at least.
What did you think? Reviews are greatly appreciated! I really wanna know what you guys think, so let me know!
Thanks to:
Uhohchemicalspill
ish78
AllyK00
Haley's Comet
and of course, degrassijayandalex
for all the awesome requests for this sequel. I hope you like it, and please review!